Emeute ouvrière à Siddhirganj : un mort – 23 janvier 2011

One dead as Bangladesh police fire at workers

AFP

23 01 2011

DHAKA — At least one person died and 20 were injured Sunday near Bangladesh’s capital after police fired rubber bullets at hundreds of labourers demanding a pay-hike, according to a local officer.

Police chief Afzal Hossain said officers opened fire after workers vandalised a plant owned by a top pharmaceutical company at Siddhirganj, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Dhaka.

« There were 500 workers who were demanding steep pay hike and increased retirement benefits. They ransacked the factory and smashed some machinery, leading to police action, » he said.

« Police fired rubber bullets from shot guns to break up the protest after they became violent. One of the workers was injured and later died in hospital. It was not clear whether he was shot by rubber bullet, » he said.

At least 20 people were also injured — at least half of them by rubber bullets, he added. Read more…

Worker killed in clash with cops

thedailystar.net

Monday, January 24, 2011

100 hurt as medicine factory workers demonstrate for pay hike in N’ganj

Agitating workers ransack a medicine factory of ACI Pharmaceuticals at Godnail of Narayanganj yesterday demanding a pay hike and regularisation of their jobs. Inset, workers bring out the bullet-hit body of a co-worker over the factory wall. He was injured during a clash with police.Photo: STAROur Correspondent, N’ganj

A worker of ACI Pharmaceuticals was killed and more than 100 were injured, 15 by bullets, in a clash with police at Siddhirganj in Narayanganj yesterday.

Bullet-hit Enamul Haque, 25, of Rangpur died at Narayanganj 200-bed Hospital around noon, police said.

At least 10 policemen were also injured. All the injured including policemen were taken to Narayanganj 200-bed Hospital.

SAM Badrul Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Siddhirganj Police Station, said around 400 workers started demonstration on the factory premises at Godnail around 9:00am demanding a pay hike and regularisation of their job.

The agitating workers hurled brickbats and bottles at police as they took position to avert any untoward incident, Alam told The Daily Star.

They also kept confined the company’s General Manager (GM) Ishtiaq Ahmed inside the factory, ransacked two medicine units and vandalised at least 12 vehicles.

The workers later beat up the GM who was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The clash ensued around 11:30am when police fired rubber bullets to disperse the workers. The OC said they fired 30-40 teargas shells and around 100 rubber bullets. Read more…